Dedicated Gold side AE arcs.

[Darmian]

I've noticed a dearth of Praetorian based AE arcs and as a dedicated Goldside player this annoyed me.  So I've set about rectifying that as best I can, To this end I'm crafting a small set of mostly self-contained arcs, though the plot line does follow on one from the other. They are subtitled as part of the Imperial Power line of Goldside missions given the contact and the theme, though set at a post Neutropolis level so that any Goldside player following the normal story arcs won't level past their own plot. Since the AE currently does not allow the use of the Praetorian choice mechanic I have attempted to compensate for this with a larger set of clues than normal.  Actually reading them is the player's own choice or responsibility!

 

Bridge of Forever. Arc id 36642.

 

Members of Powers Division are vanishing. The Seers claim they are no longer in the same dimension as Praetoria. Praetor Sinclair's investigations have led him into delicate areas and with the demise of Project Phoenix he reaches out. [An SFMA set in Praetoria prior to the Praetorian War]. (Level 19-20)

 

The Cassini Division. Arc id 37104.

 

Praetor Sinclair has formed a dedicated unit, The Cassini Division, to track down rogue Powers Divison and Resistance members who cross to Primal Earth. Their treachery must not go unpunished and their hidden benefactors must be found and dealt with. [A Praetorian SFMA set prior to the War.] (Level 20-25)

[Ankylosaur]

So I have to admit that I am goldside newb. I played the Bridge of Forever and it was a good ride.

 

It's making me want to roll a dedicated Goldside toon so I have better perspective on this and future stories.

[Ankylosaur]

Did a run through of Cassini - here's some thoughts along the way.

 

M1

• Intro
  • "nstructions"
  • Objective text "First Floor" >> was wondering if this would be an american or british first floor 🙂
• The wall safe is not an arachnos base safe? You get to use those so rarely 🙂

 

M2

• Sendoff
  • "Bailisk"
• Who put that up there! 🙂
• 
• Said the robot about robots... 🙂
• 
• 5 Bombs to arm. <--- objective text - remove period and do init caps?
•  Bombs should fade in?
• hard to find this bomb in the foreground behind the boxes - but a good challenge... 
• Return pop up - "as the facility is destroyed" is passive "as the bombs you placed rip the facility apart" or something.

 

M3

• Intro: Considering we are dealing with a clone, my <---needs that comma
• nav: 1 Mainframe Data
• huh - what's wyvern doing here...
• Chatty arachnobots! 🙂 
  • [NPC] Arachnobot: Wyvern everywhere!
    [NPC] Wing Talon Agent: No unneccessary prisoners!
    [NPC] Arachnobot: Wyvern everywhere!
    [NPC] Wing Talon Agent: No unneccessary prisoners!
• 1 Specimen Refrigerator, Recall  <-- objectives after defeating Gorgon
• unclear where recall will be or chimera just have to run through the whole base
• oh! he was behind me in the back room - maybe some unaware text to let me notice him in all this smoke 🙂
• oh and that was Recall with those agents! did not even see him for the smoke
  •  [NPC] Recall: Thanks for the assist. We have more trouble though. Guy called...Chimera!
  • Yeah! Didn't you just see me beat him up?     

 

M4

Sinclair is high falutin' who talks like this 🙂 "It seems our efficacy as a tactical unit will soon be curtailed."

• 1 Shut down CCTV <--nav 
• cctv computer had no countdown bar text
• when almost every action results in an ambush they become less special
• i saw a body bag - suspect i need to click it later - maybe set it to fade in?
• guessing you are using the "1" on purpose - there is a space at the end of feed line:  4 Bodies to Place, 1 Clockwork Recording Feed Line , Eliminate all Witnesses
• no text on feed line computer countdown bar
• oh the bodies do fade in...

 

M5

While the crystal is neat - I think having Sinclair as the contact would be better. Cause "Praetor Sinclair's familiar presence awaits you." is not true - not familiar at all 🙂

• Recall not fighting
• what was the deal with that arbiter?
• Computer in a sewer?
• sewers to arachnos tunnel? what the heck map is this? Color me surprised! 🙂 
• oops! - died from Tammi cause she caught me by surprise - and she rezzes!
  • NPC] Tami Baker: Come on! Arachnos are on the way so we need to get this place sealed up.
    [NPC] Tami Baker: Another of Chimera's pets? Or Protean's? 
    [NPC] Tami Baker: This assault on my person will not go unpunished. You will die for that.
    [NPC] Tami Baker: Your DNA will be harvested. Mr. G will have use of your shape and form.
    [NPC] Recall: Stuck in a sewer on a different Earth.  Well that's just great.

 

So that - as is typical of you - was rich, deep, thoughtful, detailed, intriguing fun and occasionally a little chained objective heavy for my tatstes. 🙂

 

I think you are missing a big opportunity to recast these as stories from 40-54 though. I don't think I saw a mob here that is not at those levels, and it fills a hole for the gold side. 

 

I have not played gold so i don't know how often they "invade" Primal Earth but that angle gives you so many maps and places you could use, and great stories you could tell! You could even integrate the "Wards" stories back towards the main threads and do some cools stuff there - maybe the midnight squad from earth and praetoria unite to fight cole or something

 

Great stuff!    

Edited February 1, 2021 by Ankylosaur

[Darmian]

Appreciate the feedback!  I'll get on to those.  A brief mention, apart from a few misses here and there all references and spellings are supposed to be American English due to the majority of the audience/player base, so US First floor.  Otherwise personally I'd call it the Ground Floor.

[Darmian]

I do get your point about using Sinclair in person as opposed to the crystal, however I actually had what I considered weird complaints in the Meteors arc for certain sections where the contact did not align with who was speaking!  Seriously people, suspension of disbelief! So having pondered this a bit I erred on the side of using the crystal.

[Darmian]

And when you next see Recall he is being hunted by the Major in a Vigilante Blueside arc.

[Ankylosaur]

Quote

A brief mention, apart from a few misses here and there all references and spellings are supposed to be American English due to the majority of the audience/player base, so US First floor.  Otherwise personally I'd call it the Ground Floor.

 

OK then in M4 or M5 text somewhere I think I saw "Arachnos have something-or-other" Corps and orgs are singular so would be "Arachnos has something-or-other"

 

[Darmian]

Also, I'm in the process of writing a souvenir clue - I'm awful at those - that is a shard of the crystal, so it makes more sense to use it then.

 

(Currently in your Pirates arc and will send notes ASAP - though work calls are interrupting me!)

[Darmian]

Ok, Edits and so on applied.  Thanks again!

[Darmian]

I think If I fill the 40 to 50 gap it won't be with these.  I've got a little 3 parter here and want them contiguous.  I will lose a lot of the NPCs if I upscale Bridge of Forever for example, they just don't exist beyond that level.

 

Also, for your information - Unique Maps/Arachnos/Arachnos Tunnel Base.  From M5.